WELCOME TO 2023 THE BEST YEAR EVER

THE KOREAN TABLE

March 13, 2023 by infomatique

MY FIRST TIME TO NOTICE THIS RESTAURANT ON MANOR STREET

n the 11 June 2020 I came across the following “New Cow Lane Tapas & Wine Restaurant at 50 Manor Street up near the green is reopening” and I had intended to visit but I forgot. Last Friday I was walking along Manor Street and noticed that the restaurant had changed the name to Korean Table.

“Our restaurant didn’t come out overnight. The Korean Table, which started at a food market in Dublin with the mission of making Irish people feel true Korean food, is now offering you the best Korean food at an inexpensive price at a Stoneybatter, which is a little closer to you.”

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NA FIANNA EIREANN MEMORIAL

February 24, 2023 by infomatique

AT ST STEPHEN’S GREEN

In August 1966 a memorial to Fianna Eireann was unveiled in St. Stephen’s Green by former Fianna QMG and Commandant of the Dublin Brigade Garry Holohan. It is inscribed as follows: “To honour all those who served with Fianna Eireann 1909-1916, and through the War of Independence”.

Na Fianna Éireann, known as the Fianna, is an Irish nationalist youth organisation founded by Constance Markievicz in 1909, with later help from Bulmer Hobson. Fianna members were involved in setting up the Irish Volunteers, and had their own circle of the Irish Republican Brotherhood (IRB). They took part in the 1914 Howth gun-running and (as Volunteer members) in the 1916 Easter Rising. They were active in the War of Independence and many took the anti-Treaty side in the Civil War.

The Fianna were declared an illegal organisation by the government of the Irish Free State in 1931. This was reversed when Fianna Fáil came to power in 1932, but re-introduced in 1938. During the splits in the Republican movement of the later part of the 20th century, the Fianna and Cumann na mBan supported Provisional Sinn Féin in 1969 and Republican Sinn Féin in 1986. The Fianna have been a proscribed organisation in Northern Ireland since 1920.

Monument, Memorial, Na Fianna Éireann,St. Stephen’s Green, Irish nationalist youth organisation, Constance Markievicz , War of Independence, anti-Treaty side, William Murphy, Infomatique, Fotonique, OSX128.COM,

LADY GRATTAN MEMORIAL FOUNTAIN

February 23, 2023 by infomatique

AT ST. STEPHEN’S GREEN

Photographed 13 February 2018 Published 23 February 2023

The original installation included two horse troughs [one of which had been replace by a modern copy in 1992. When I last photographed I complained that the horse troughs were missing but I was wrong because I had not noticed that the troughs were relocated further down the street. It should be mentioned that some now claim that the troughs may not have not have been part of the original installation.

The most recent heritage works began in 2014 with the successful removal to storage of the Lady Grattan Fountain at St. Stephen’s Green. The fountain which dates from 1888 was deemed to be in excellent condition and was returned close to its original location in 2017. Close inspection of the fountain and troughs had shown that some repairs which were carried out in the past had given way. Some new repairs to the stonework were recently undertaken.

The Lady Grattan Fountain was presented by Lady Laura Grattan (daughter in law of the patriot Henry Grattan, M.P whose statue stands in College Green) to the citizens of Dublin in 1880. The fountain was presented to the citizens of the city at a time when running water was only supplied to a small number of houses in the capital. The installation of fountains like this one in other locations within the city centre helped greatly in improving public health and hygiene generally.

It consists of a drinking fountain carved from polished granite stone. The cylindrical base supports a basin from which rises a quatrefoil shaft surmounted by a small Celtic cross. Decorative bronze spouts and fittings (some of which are missing) are set into the quatrefoil shaft.

Drinking cups would have originally been attached to the shaft to allow people to quench their thirsts, while horses would have been able to drink from the basin.

Flanking the structure are two granite rectangular troughs mounted on squared pedestal blocks. These troughs are likely to be unrelated historically with the drinking fountain and may have been brought from elsewhere during the twentieth century.

In 1992 the fountain was restored by Dublin City Council. The work involved bringing drinking water back to the fountain and replacing worn bronze castings, spouts and access doors. One of the horse troughs, which was badly damaged, was replaced by a modern copy.

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TRAM ARRIVING AT WINDY ARBOUR 9 FEB 2023

February 13, 2023 by infomatique

9 FEBRUARY 2023

VIEW VIDEO OF TRAM ARRIVING

Windy Arbour (Na Glasáin) is a small suburban village in the Dundrum area of Dublin, Ireland. Situated between Dundrum and Milltown, along the banks of the Slang River (also known as the Dundrum or Slann River).

The name of the area was originally Irish Na Glasáin, “the green land”; this was Anglicised as ‘Glassons’. The name Windy Harbour or Sandy Arbour was later applied, referring to a landing-point on the River Slang. A starch mill was formerly located there. “Arbour” once had the meaning “grass plot, lawn, garden”; it is possible that the name was intended as a direct translation of glasáin.

Perhaps the most famous person to live in Windy Arbour was Irish patriot Robert Emmet, who grew up in The Casino, a manor house that is now known as Emmet House, where the Secretariat of Secondary schools in Ireland is currently housed. It is located next to the Catholic church on Bird Avenue and was formerly known as Carton House.

There is a primary school in Columbanus Estate known as Our Lady’s National School, Clonskeagh. The area is served by Windy Arbour Luas stop and by the number 17, 44 and 61 bus routes.

THE OLD PUNCH BOWL ON ROCK ROAD

February 2, 2023 by infomatique

BOOTERSTOWN 29 JANUARY 2023

Back in March 2022 this famous pub was put on the market as the O’Rorke [maybe O’Rourke] family were retiring from the trade after 40 years. To the best of my knowledge it was known as the Punch Bowl until 1996 when it was sold by Ken Featherstone who had acquired the Victor Hotel.

The Pub’s location was immortalised in the iconic 19th century ballad, ‘The Rocky Road to Dublin’. whose name is reputed to derive from the very Rock Road on which the Punch Bow stands.

This famous tavern, once the haunt of notorious highwaymen, was first licenced in 1779 when William Scully, the then landlord, served such patrons as the Fitzwilliams, Barons of Thorncastle and Viscounts of Merrion. The landmark location has seen more than its share of history and tragedy in the 200 years since it first opened its doors.

A tranquil November day in 1807 turned to catastrophe as The Prince of Wales’ transport ship was caught in a sudden northeasterly gale as it tried to leave Dublin Bay. In violent seas, it foundered on the rocks just south of Booterstown. The Captain escaped with his family and crew, but all 120 soldiers aboard perished. Their bodies washed ashore on Booterstown Strand and their bodies were buried in a quiet graveyard a five minute walk from the pub.

This tragedy was the impetus to the building of Dún Laoghaire Harbour, which was initially called “Dunleary”, then “Kingstown”, and now “Dún Laoghaire”. Dublin port was hampered by a sandbar, which meant that ships could enter or leave only at high tide. A solution, the building of the North Bull Wall, had been identified by Vice-Admiral William Bligh in 1800. If there was a storm, a ship would have to ride out the storm in the open sea, waiting for the tide.

“The bay of Dublin has perhaps been more fatal to seamen and ships than any in the world, for a ship once caught in it in a gale of wind from ENE to SSE must ride it out at anchors or go on shore, and from the nature of that shore the whole of the crews almost invariably have perished.” – Captain Charles Malcolm of George IV’s royal yacht.

A pier had been built at Dún Laoghaire, now known as the “coal harbour”, in 1767, but it had rapidly silted up. The early nineteenth century was unusually stormy. Dublin Bay was notoriously treacherous for boats. The remains of at least 600 vessels rest at the bottom of the bay.